Welcome to the GWTW Forum.Guests (non-registered users) can view the forum but are unable to post. If you don't have anything to say then why would you bother to register?One of the most popular sections of the GWTW Forum has long been the Swap Meet. A great place to sell old, seldom flown kites or to get great deals on used (gently flown) kites. Only registered users can see the Swap Meet section, let alone wheel and deal. 1000's (literally) of kites have changed hands thanks to the Swap Meet.There are several more benefits to being a registered user, but you'll have to join our little community to find out all the "secrets".Questions or concerns? Contact Steve ... just drop an email to: forum.gwtwkites@gmail.com

With a 12 footer I would give it a little more height than 100'. You want to get it up to the smoother winds. The longer the better to work out subtleties in the wind. Shorter lines are like rodeoing a bronco. You just gotta let those horses fly.

well i think you were correct, my own fears and technique seem now to be most of the problem,

i took the kite out today to the exact same spot, winds were moderate or a bit stronger than what i would consider "ideal" but anyway,

i put my intimidation and fears aside and decided i was going to fly the 12 foot exactly like i used to fly my 9 footer,

i let the line out more rapidly then before and basically let the kite do the work and pull the line out without much resistance on my part, i basically "let it go" till it hit a good 300-400 feet, at that point i stopped it, and surprise surprise, it stabilized itself very nicely,

after that i flew it for a good 45 mins, letting more line out slowly, i had it up at what i would estimate around 800 feet at the highest, after that i started reeling her in,

there was only one slight "nose dive" at a high altitude, but it quickly corrected itself, and i was confident it would do just that, other than that it was smooth sailing like my 9 footer,

the descent was fairly smooth, only once did it try to "over fly" me, at that point i let a bit more line out and slowed down the reeling in, and it seemed to back off and come in fine,

so i just wanted to update and thank everybody for their help here, it looks like most of the problem was my own technique, i think i was "holding the kite back" too much in fear,

the flight today really boosted my confidence in myself and the kite, i take back everything i said about the manufacturer, as i now believe it is a very well built quality kite, and my previous comments came out of frusteration,

I have one but don't fly it much as it takes a lot longer to set up. Find my large foils are easier to fly. no sticks to install.

thanks!

and yes i totally agree with you, just took me a bit of time to get used to it and feel more comfortable with it, i have had it out once more since my last post and it flew very well that time also, im learning and boosting my confidence each time i fly,

19 foot? haha, maybe some day but it wont be anytime soon, the 12 pulls hard enough for me right now....before i purchased this kite i was thinking about going to 16 feet but im glad now i did not make that leap all at once,

as some of you might know my new 12 foot delta is out of commission for the time being due to a bent rod/spar,

as a result, today i took out my old 9 foot delta to fly for the first time this year/season, i took it to the exact same spot where i always fly and put it up,

i have now confirmed what i had described previously about it being so easy to fly, stable, and predictable, it was not my imagination at all,

flying my 9 foot compared to my 12 foot is like night and day, or black and white,

the 9 foot goes up smoothly, fly's smoothly, very stable, and comes down smoothly, never do i have any doubt in my mind about it, and it will handle well in any wind conditions,

i am now 100% convinced there is something wrong with the aerodynamics of my 12 foot, what the exact problem is i have no idea as i am no expert, all i can think of is the tow point might be in the wrong spot?

i really wish one of you guys with a lot of knowledge could come out with me one day and fly my 9 foot, and then fly my 12 foot as i am sure you would agree with me,

i have never been so disappointed with any purchase i have made in my life, if anybody wants to make me an offer for this kite go ahead, it is practically brand new, the only thing it needs is one ferrule replaced,

Our forum is made possible by the good folks whose ads appear above and by the members of our community (PayPal donation button at bottom)In case you missed it each ad is linked to the sponsors web site. So please, take a moment and visit our sponsors sites as this forum wouldn't be possible with out them.Interested in running an ad for your business or kiting event? Contact Steve at advertise.gwtwkites@gmail.com for a quote.